Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Lexington OK

How to Pick a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Lexington 73051

Lexington OK physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Lexington OK is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are thinking about to make sure they will deliver a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered along with cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Lexington OK physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, such as Lexington OK private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Lexington OK medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Lexington OK physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degrees that are available in the Lexington OK area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually offered by community colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an important element along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lexington OK While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Lexington OK home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, like the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Lexington OK area and throughout Oklahoma, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Also, you want to make certain that you select the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the programs you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online school, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Lexington OK physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your college options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Oklahoma Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Lexington OK area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you choose furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Oklahoma or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are assessing have relationships with Lexington OK hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional connections in the Lexington healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they decide on will need to be within commuting distance of their Lexington OK residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT schools provide some form of financial support to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and see what kind of assistance is available. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy program you finally select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Lexington OK area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lexington Oklahoma?

If you are planning on attending a Physical Therapy School in the Lexington OK area, the following information may prove to be both interesting and educational regarding the location of your future Alma Mater.

Lexington, Oklahoma

Lexington is located in southern Cleveland County at 35°0′55″N 97°20′10″W / 35.01528°N 97.33611°W / 35.01528; -97.33611. It is bordered on the west by the Canadian River, which forms the McClain County line. The city of Purcell is directly across the river from Lexington, connected by U.S. Route 77. US 77 leads north from Lexington 16 miles (26 km) to Norman and 38 miles (61 km) to the center of Oklahoma City.

As of the census[1] of 2010 there were 2,152 people, 761 households, and 541 families residing in the city. The population density was 979.3 people per square mile (378.1/km²). There were 842 housing units at an average density of 395.3 per square mile (152.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.62% White, 0.58% African American, 6.47% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 3.74% from other races, and 3.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.29% of the population.

There were 761 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.06.

Pick the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Lexington OK

Choosing the right physical therapy college is an important initial decision you must make to start a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are other important questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that many variables will guide you toward your final decision. You might want to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Lexington OK.